First golf pro tourney mixed for Donnelly

MIXING IT WITH THE PROS: Two-time Poverty Bay Open champion Steve Donnelly competed in the New South Wales Open — his first taste of professional golf. Picture by Paul Rickard

HE failed to make the cut but former Poverty Bay-East Coast representative Steve Donnelly won’t forget his first taste of professional golf.

Donnelly, who turned 31 on Monday, was one of 45 amateurs who mixed it with pros at the New South Wales Open Championship on the Stonecutters Ridge course in Sydney last week.

Now based in Sydney, Donnelly made an excellent start with an opening round of 2-under 70 on a storm-affected first day. However, he struggled in the second round, signing for 83, which included two triple bogeys and a quadruple bogey.

Despite the disappointing second round, Donnelly was upbeat.

“After getting a taste of what it’s like to compete with players at the top of their game, I am confident in the knowledge that I was there,” he said on Facebook.

“It wasn’t a fluke. I know that I have got what it takes and need to remain in the right headspace.”

He was rapt with his first-round effort

“It was a true test of my mental game, with play suspended due to rain, leaving my jacket and umbrella in the car — it was near 30 degrees and sunny when I teed off — playing the last three holes in the dark and to top it off, my shoe blew out walking off the 18th tee.

“I’m happy that my best competition score of two-under in the last three years happened to be in my first professional golf round.”

Donnelly, who competed at the Poverty Bay Open in September, made the NSW Open field by finishing sixth-equal with a round of 73 at a qualifying tournament earlier this month.

He rang grandmother Materoa Donnelly that night and after congratulating him, she pointed out that it was the six-year anniversary of the death of his “papa” Bill Donnelly — the man who introduced him to the game.

Donnelly said his qualifying success was a fitting tribute to his grandfather.

Victoria amateur Ben Eccles won the NSW Open with a four-round total of 19-under.